Hold On To This

By Isaac butler

I wish I had something profound and meaningful to say about the long overdue victory for equality here in New York last night.  Long time readers of Parabasis probably know that the struggle for equality and justice for the LGBT community is pretty much the reason I became a politically active and politically conscious person when I was a teenager. 

There is much work left to be done.  There are many more states that don't recognize love for what it is. Being gay or transgendered is still a perfectly legit reason to fire someone in many places. The Defense of Marriage Act is still the law of the land. And even if we get all of those things, there are still other struggles awaiting us. 

Still, if we are to bend the arc of history towards justice it's important to hold on to these moments, to this feeling, to recognize the work ahead but to revel in the beauty that we've created. I've had a smile on my face and a tear in my eye that I can't get rid of since I woke up this morning. The title of this post is not meant to be my preaching at you, dear reader, but a reminder to my pessimistic self.  It's too easy for me to forget this feeling, forget this moment. And hot damn is it a great moment.

Comments

[Andrew Utter]

I'm embarrassed for CA that NY got there first. But congratulations!

[Esther]

I was in New York City last weekend and while I didn't get to the Village on Friday night, I went on Saturday. It felt joyous. I loved seeing people getting their pictures taken in front of the Stonewall Inn, including lots of adults with kids. One group held up a copy of that day's New York Times, with its banner headline. People were talking about it at the restaurant where I ate lunch. For the lifetime of reading I'd done on the civil-rights movement, I never realized how exhilarating it would feel to be in the middle of an actual civil-rights victory!